CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A Montgomery County jury found a Memphis man not guilty in the 2019 shooting death of a 22-year-old near an Austin Peay State University apartment complex.
Turnity D. Rossell, 23, was acquitted March 26 of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in the death of Serdyrin Brown.
On the night of Oct. 28, 2019, Clarksville Police responded to a shots fired call near Hand Village Avenue, where Brown had been shot. He was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
Nearly five years later, on June 4, 2024, a warrant was issued for Rossell in connection with Brown’s death, according to previous reports. He was arrested in Memphis on Oct. 17, 2024, after investigators located him at a residence with assistance from Shelby County and Memphis authorities. Rossell was booked into the Shelby County Detention Center and later transported to Montgomery County to face the charges.
After deliberating for approximately two and a half hours, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all counts.
Attorney Chase Smith, who represented Rossell, told Clarksville Now the jury’s decision reflected the lack of proof in the case. His defense was that Rossell was not the shooter and not even present during the time of the alleged robbery. Smith also said there was not proof beyond a reasonable doubt that a robbery occurred.
He added that there was “a wealth of issues” in the trial, including identification concerns. “At any time you have 12 jurors from all different walks of life … come to an agreement that someone didn’t commit a crime, it’s pretty conclusive that the right decision was made,” Smith said. “We’re glad that the system worked.”
Clarksville Now has reached out to the District Attorney’s Office for comment.
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